The ghost of Christmas future was in the shape of the grim reaper and the ghost that Scrooge feared the most. He represents death and Scrooges fear of it. He shows Scrooge what impact his death has on the community. They are celebrating. This scares Scrooge as he didn’t realise how much people hated him.
‘Spirit, he said, this is a fearful place. In leaving it, I shall not leave its lesson trust me, let us go!’
Undoubtedly, the turning point for Scrooge though, was when he saw the empty chair and crutch that was once Tiny Tim’s. The Cratchits could not afford to help him so they were mourning him. This brought tears to Scrooge’s eyes. He knew that he could do something to help.
‘What of Tiny Tim?’
The ghost doesn’t reply. Scrooge is very scared by this.
The next and final thing that the ghost shows Scrooge…. Is his own grave. It’s cold and deserted, with no signs of anyone visiting him. This makes him fully determined to change his ways.
Each ghost gives Scrooge many worries to ponder over, his childhood, his present life, how he treats people, his death amongst other things. All of these contribute to his lifestyle change. He wants people to see him as a different person. He feels remorse and sadness after the ghosts. He mourns for Tiny Tim and wants to do something to help him. He wakes up on Christmas morning with a complete change of attitude to life. At the beginning of the story, Scrooge if described as cold and Dickens uses cold words to describe him. At the end of the story, the words are warm. This is known as pathetic fallacy and this is how Dickens reflects Scrooges attitude to life on the weather. Even though it is Christmas day and is still cold, the words are warmer then they were at the beginning of the story, for example ‘smoking’ and ‘fires’
Dickens shows this transformation of Scrooge to show us that people can change their ways. Scrooge’s transformation is unique but it can happen to other people in many different ways. Scrooge initially didn’t care for Christmas but after thinking about what he had seen on Christmas eve night , with the ghosts , it had changed his mind and made him enjoy life in particularly, Christmas.
Throughout the story Scrooge is conveyed as a cold character who hates everyone. But in contrast to Scrooge, his nephew, Fred is described as the complete opposite. Scrooge’s opinion of Fred is poor, feeling that he should care more for his work than his family and friends, as Scrooge does. Fred tries to bring Scrooge into the festive spirit, but he refuses, every time.
“Uncle!” pleaded the nephew
“Nephew!” returned the uncle, sternly, “Keep Christmas in your own way and let me keep it in mine.”
Fred then leaves to enjoy Christmas with his wife and friends, leaving Scrooge to his own business.
Scrooge’s chambers are in the traditional, austere Victorian style and although we don’t hear a great deal about his living conditions, we hear descriptions of his bed chamber quite frequently. His grand four poster, king size bed ahs drapes all around it to keep out the cold. This could also be symbolic of his need for security.
Yet it isn’t Scrooge’s house, it is the late Marley’s. He just hasn’t changed the name. As described in the book; he keeps the house quite neat. He checks each room, and from his description he keeps the house in pristine condition. In a sense his house reflects his personality. The way Dickens conveys the message, the house is quite dull. Scrooge is an accountant and manages his own business. Accountancy can sometimes be seen as quite dull and boring; again the occupation could reflect the person within. He treats his employees in a mean way. He gives them small wages and when it is bitterly cold, he won’t let them have coal for the fire. The firm is a cold dark place at any time of the year. This is pathetic fallacy again; the whole business is cold and described using words of that nature.
Scrooge really believes that his business is very successful and he is undoubtedly wealthy because of its success. Surely though he has neglected the social side of life and must not be very rich emotionally.
The one character in this story that is just like Scrooge is Marley. Scrooge and Marley were business partners until Marley died. Marley sees him again at the beginning of the story when he comes back as a ghost. He is weighted down with chains and he has a warning for Scrooge that the same will happen to Scrooge if he does not change his ways.
“I wear the chain I forged in life,” replied the ghost. ‘I made it link by link and yard by yard; I girded it on my own free will, and of my own free will I wore it. Is its pattern strange to you?”
Marley portrays a message that he has received punishment for his actions towards people when he was alive and that Scrooge could stop this happening to him. Marley and Scrooge are very alike.
Now Marley is dead, Scrooge runs the business and is very strict towards his employees. This first thing we notice is his harsh treatment towards Bob Cratchit, a clerk to the accountants. The measly wages that Scrooge gave him was barely enough for him and his family to survive on and because of his poor wages, Bob couldn’t afford to pay for his sons, Tiny Tim’s treatment. But this family is still in the Christmas spirit and Bob remains loyal to Scrooge throughout. Scrooge just classifies Bob as an employee but Bob has a heart of gold. He is the one to Speak up to Scrooge when he or any of the other employees had a problem.
‘A poor excuse for picking a man’s pocket every twenty- fifth of December!’ said Scrooge, buttoning his great coat to the chin. ‘But I suppose you must have a whole day. Be here all earlier the next morning’.
This is the one occasion where he is kind to his employees even if he does it grudgingly. At the end of the story, Scrooge gives Bob Cratchit a pay rise and he gives money to help Tiny Tim who is then cured of his illness.
Scrooge is selfish, doesn’t care for anyone else but himself. In his opinion, no-one works harder than he does and he feels he deserves respect for that, but respect from others isn’t displayed when they move away from him, but Scrooge doesn’t care.
The description of Scrooge is large and full. The descriptive words tell us that he is the most important character. One way to describe this portrayal is by use of pathetic fallacy. This is where, on this occasion, Dickens uses descriptions of the weather to reflect the character’s mood. At the beginning, cold words are used to Describe Scrooge, such as ‘froze’ and ‘foul weather’, giving the impression to the reader of his coldness as a character. At the end of the novella, in contrast, he is described with warm words, for example, ‘golden sunlight’ and ‘smoked’. This gives the impression to the reader that Scrooge has under gone and complete transformation from being a cold, stubborn character into a warm, caring, compassionate person. Everything he now does is in direct opposition to his actions at the beginning of the story.
The language in ‘A Christmas Carol’ helps us to relate to the characters. It can create an atmosphere, whether it is sympathetic or cold. One example of this is where we see Tiny Tim. Dickens describes him as ‘crippled’. We automatically feel sympathy for him and his family who cannot afford to help him. This is described in stave three, when ‘the ghost of Christmas Present’ visits Scrooge. Then in stave four, when ‘the ghost of Christmas yet To Come’ returns Scrooge to the house, all he sees is an empty chair and a crutch. This upsets the reader because we have become attached to Tiny Tim and his plight. The description conveys him as an ill child and we are naturally sympathetic towards this.
Continuing with the pathetic fallacy theme, when Dickens wants to make an atmosphere of any kind he does, with his descriptive words. When the Ghosts appear, Dickens idea is to create an atmosphere full of tension, and with these words, he does just that.
‘I am prepared to bear your company, and do it with a thankful heart. Will you not speak to me?’ It gave him no reply. The hand was pointed straight before them.
Dickens has portrayed the last spirit as inhuman, a frightening figure which cannot speak, and he do this using descriptive language. He also uses many devices such as repetition, alliteration and onomatopoeia. He repeats the word, ‘chuckle’ and he uses the words ‘secrets and self-contained and solitary’ for alliteration.
Dickens uses language in many ways. One way he uses it is to distinguish the poor people of society from the rich. There are a good deal more words describing the poor in informal language than there are to describe the rich, for example, after Scrooge’s transformation (stave five) he speaks to a small boy.
Scrooge speaks formally to him, yet he replies with a simple ‘eh?’ This shows Dickens, who has been in a situation of being poor, understands what it feels like to be talked to by the rich and educated and how the poor people communicate. He is encouraging the educated readers to identify the problems of speech.
Dickens undoubtedly was able to show humour through his writing in his novels, even if they were discussing depressing issues. ‘A Christmas Carol’ is a very light hearted novella as it is based on a festive time of year. Dickens intended to add plenty of humour. The novella and how it is presented, is based upon a Christmas song. It has staves which would act as verses and Christmas songs are meant to feel ‘jolly’. He uses slang words to make the story more light- hearted.
‘What’s to-day?’ cried Scrooge calling downward to a boy a boy in Sunday clothes, who perhaps had loitered to look about him.
‘Eh?’ returned the boy.
This use of slang makes the story less daunting to read.
Dickens also uses alliteration in his story and onomatopoeic words to reduce the seriousness, for example, ‘wintry weather’. One of the most recognisable uses of onomatopoeia would be ‘Scrooge’. The name already sounds cold and miserable and uninviting.
Towards the end of the novella, a good deal more literary devices are used to lighten the story. Repetition of the word ‘Wonderful’ and ‘chuckle’ are used and listings of descriptive and informal words are placed to make this novella both serious and humorous.
Other characters in ‘A Christmas Carol’ are described in complete contrast to Scrooge. Scrooge is an icy cold character whereas his nephew, Fred is depicted using warm words and feelings. Fezziwig, Scrooge’s first employer comes across to us as funny and enjoys having a good time. He doesn’t care about his money, unlike Scrooge, who accounts every single penny he owns. Then there is Bob Cratchit, a kind, caring, sensitive individual who cares deeply about the welfare of his family. Once again, we are shown the differences in the characters, between Scrooge and Bob. Scrooge doesn’t care for friendship, family or any other person.
Scrooge is a complete contrast at the beginning of the story to any other character, apart from Marley. The comparison between Scrooge and the other, kinder characters is outlined through Dickens’s language and the way he makes characters react in different situations. As an illustration, Scrooge has the choice of going to a party, his nephew’s party, at the beginning of the novella. Scrooge refuses. Nephew Fred wants to have some fun, and when he gets the opportunity he takes it. Scrooge would not do this but at the end of the story when he is given an invitation he accepts.
‘It is I, your Uncle Scrooge. I have come to dinner, will you let me in?’
This amazes Fred, but he lets him in and they enjoy themselves. Scrooge has not experienced fun before.
‘A Christmas Carol’ is structured so that Dickens may convey his message in many sections of the story. Events happen one after another. Marley visits Scrooge, then the three ghosts visit Scrooge and finally we see the changed Scrooge.
The story is in five staves, this is can compare to ‘A Christmas Song’. Each stave would represent a verse. Stave one is where Scrooge is portrayed as a cold, mean man. Stave two is where the ‘Ghost of Christmas Past’ visited and showed Scrooge what he missed out on in his past. Stave three represents where the’ Ghost of Christmas Present’ takes Scrooge to various celebrations and shows Scrooge everything he is missing now. This is the point where Scrooge starts to consider a change in him. In stave four the ‘Ghost of Christmas yet to Come’ shows Scrooge a celebration of his death and his own gravestone. By this time Scrooge’s mind is made up, he decides to change for good. Stave five then shows us the difference in him and what lessons he has learnt about himself.
The story is written so the reader obtains a very gradual understanding of the plot and accepting the moral of the story is easy. This is because the moral is portrayed through many characters and not to accept it would make the reader as cruel as the original Scrooge. Scrooge, Bob, Marley, Tiny Tim all contribute to the final moral of the tale, they all have their hidden message. For instance, Bob Cratchit is a kind, loving man and ultimately he is given what he needs from Scrooge, help for his son. The message here is, work hard, have faith in your fellow man and you will be rewarded.
The episodic nature makes this descriptive novel easy to understand. In some novels heavy description can hinder comprehension, but not in Dickens case.
‘A Christmas Carol’ is an allegory. This means that the story conveys hidden meaning or a moral to the story. The moral in the story is that if we are mean, and greedy in this life, we will be punished in the next. Marley tells us this. He is in chains; he is suffering for his past demeanours in his living life.
All of the characters have a hidden meaning to them, Fred represents kindness and fun, Tiny Tim depicts suffering, representing the poor and needy.
The voice of Charles Dickens can be heard in the story as it is written in the third person. He is speaking directly to us as the narrator of the story. Dickens gives us information about the characters that can’t be spoken by the characters themselves. He ‘ties up lose ends’.
‘The mention of Marley’s funeral brings me back to the point I started from. There is no doubt that Marley was dead.’
From this quote we can see that Charles Dickens was talking directly to the audience of his novel and this makes the reader feel more involved in the story, encouraging further reading and understanding and wanting to know the conclusion of the story.
The purpose of this novella is to raise awareness of the poor and the way they live and their treatment at the hands of the rich and uncaring. He adds the moral to push his message across to the masses.
The story is very successful. It was written a long time ago, but people are still reading and accepting the moral message of this novella. If the story doesn’t make the reader act, at least it makes them think. It gathers sympathy for Tiny Tim and hate for Scrooge. It makes the reader emotional- sad, angry, finally happy.
So many people must have read this book that Scrooge has become a household name, symbolic of greed and loathing. Scrooge’s phrase, ‘Bah Humbug” depicts a person who will not participate in celebrations and fun activities. If Charles Dickens was alive today I think he would be pleased that his message is still being read and received.
‘Scrooge was better than his word. He did it all, and infinitely more; and to Tiny Tim who did NOT die, he was a second father.’
‘God bless us, everyone’